To the Ends of the Earth: Character – Catholic Men’s Devotionals, Week 5 – The Warrior Poet

O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you;

my flesh faints for you,

as in a dry and weary land where no water is.

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.

Because your merciful love is better than life, my lips will praise you.

So I will bless you as long as I live;

I will lift up my hands and call on your name.

Psalm 63:1–4

In the final scene of the movie Braveheart, Robert the Bruce, ready to surrender to the English, decides instead to call out to his troops: “You have bled with Wallace . . . now bleed with me!” As the Scottish soldiers, starving and outnumbered, race across the open field to meet the enemy in one last epic battle, we hear the voice of William Wallace saying, “They fought like warrior poets . . . they fought like Scotsmen . . . and won their freedom!” The phrase “warrior poet” describes so perfectly King David, the man after God’s own heart. It also describes what all Catholic men should strive to be.

Psalm 63 is described as “A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.” We often find ourselves like David the warrior, wandering in the wilderness of our lives. We struggle to maintain our integrity in the barren world of moral relativism. We work hard to provide for our families. We wrestle with what it means to be a man. We are often tempted, tired, and emotionally spent as we walk the lonely path of manhood. And yet, like David the poet, we can experience and express great joy along the journey, incredible moments of contentment, and deep relational insights as we grow in the knowledge of what it means to be free in the blood of Christ. We are warriors, contending with the world, fighting to succeed, and marching onward to win the prize of heaven. Yet we are also poets, caught up in the sweet fragrance of our faith, learning the language of the Passion, and surrendering to the beauty of the cross and all that it means for those who believe.

So how do warrior poets gain strength and purpose? And how can we nourish our souls and learn to sing our own song as we travel the road of our Catholic Faith? This week, as we ponder these questions, we will consider five key truths contained in Psalm 63:

1.         Warrior poets find satisfaction and work toward peace no matter the circumstances.

In every situation, waking or sleeping, we rest in the arms of the Almighty. We work to bring blessings into others’ lives and lift up our hearts in confident praise as we move through our days (vv. 4–6).

2.         Warrior poets walk in the sanctuary of God.

We live in the shadow of God’s wings. When we wander in the wilderness of dryness and doubt, we draw from the life-giving power of the Spirit. We seek God’s wisdom, we cling to his promises, and we look with hope to the One who is our foundation and our strength (vv. 1–2).

3.         Warrior poets hunger for God and speak the language of love to a lost world.

God’s love is our life, our food, our rest, and our peace. Our longing for his love is not a weakness but a surrendering strength, for it fills us with his power and peace. As we experience God’s perfect care for our lives, his love spills out in our praise and our actions toward others (vv. 3–5).

4.         Warrior poets know the source of their strength.

We are not afraid to acknowledge that Christ is our Savior and our strength. We experience and show forth great joy because we rest under the shadow of the Almighty. We are not ashamed to hold fast to the One who sustains us (vv. 7–8).

5.         Warrior poets stand firm in hope.

We understand the big picture, and we look toward our true and final end. We remain confident that our all-powerful and all-knowing Father will bring about our good and the good of his Church. In the end, we know we will share in his victory and experience his eternal peace (vv. 9–11).

God wants his men to be both strong soldiers and gentle healers, fighting the battles of daily living while speaking peace into the lives of others. Like King David, we can rise every morning with hope and determination and lie down each evening with trust and contentment. Though we may stumble and fall, we are lifted up and carried to the place where hope springs anew from the soil of our struggle. Our lives become a song of praise to the God who loves us, upholds us, and brings us the victory won for us by Jesus Christ.

A Call to Action

The Catholic Faith transforms lives and offers a hope that truly heals. This week, work to understand the dynamic interplay between a strong, determined faith and gentle surrender to its beauty. Witness to the character of Christ, who lived as the perfect warrior poet. Strive to be more like Jesus, who fought against the hosts of hell and the hypocrisy of men, cast out demons and calmed stormy seas, yet held little children in his arms, offered his healing touch to the broken, and spoke tenderly to the lowliest lost sinner. Meditate on our Lord’s perfect, gentle strength, with which he revealed the mysteries of salvation and walked up the hill of Calvary to offer his life on our behalf. Consider this week how you will manifest that strength and gentle healing power in all that you say and do, especially to your family and your brothers in the Faith.

You can learn more about the To the Ends of the Earth devotionals HERE